iOS Game controllers have always seemed like a good (if niche) idea, providing powerful controls for games without covering most of your iPhone’s screen. But they’ve mostly been unusably large, or just plain unusable. […]
The Junglecat is coming out in July, and it’s an interesting proposition. It’s one of the best iOS controllers I’ve seen yet, an attempt to solve or at least lessen the problem of constantly carrying an accessory you’re only occasionally using. It’s still going to be only for a small niche of intense gamers, but that’s who Razer’s always served better than anyone.
Their conclusion is similar to my own, at least so far: the Junglecat is probably not the controller for everyone, but as a niche product geared towards hardcore iOS gamers who want physical controls available EVERYWHERE, it is going to be a very hard controller to beat.
Classic RPG Final Fantasy III has been recently updated with support for iCloud saves. These saves are compatible between the iPhone and iPad versions of the game, which, unlike the universal Final Fantasy IV, are sold as two separate apps.
As mentioned in my review, Final Fantasy III is a classic JRPG, and the iOS port is an excellent update. The iPhone version supports all MFi controllers, as does the also excellent Final Fantasy IV.
Capcom today announced that fan-favorite RPG Monster Hunter Freedom Unite will be coming to the App Store, and will feature full MFi controller support.
Monster Hunter fans will note that a version of this game is already available on the App Store in Japan, arriving about a month ago. While that version is missing an English localization, it is still quite playable, and features full MFi controller support.
This localized version of Monster Hunter should be hitting the App Store soon. More information will be available around E3, where it will be playable at Capcom’s booth.
Japanese iPhone and iPad owners can grab a copy from the Japanese App Store now:
Classic hack-and-slash action game Samurai II was recently updated for controller support for its fourth anniversary.
Originally released in 2010, Samurai II is a top-down action brawler with fluid gameplay and a beautiful aesthetic. It was one of the earlier games from Dead Trigger 2 developer Madfinger games, and unlike their later games, is a premium title without any form of in-app purchases.
Samurai II may be 4 years old, but it certainly doesn’t look it
In addition to controller support, this new update rolls in iCloud saves, cross-device compatibility, improved graphics and performance, and better compatibility with iOS 7 and the latest iPhones and iPads.
Samurai II was one of my favorite iOS games when it was first released, and for fans of action games, I’m happy to report that time hasn’t diminished this one’s shine in the slightest. If you’re a fan of the action gameplay of games like Dynasty Warriors or God of War, give this one a download.
F1 Race Stars, the freemium racing game by Codemasters, has been updated for MFi controller support.
I haven’t spent a huge amount of time with this game yet, so I’m not entirely sure how aggressive its freemium tendencies are. The gameplay itself seems fun, though the game has a tendency to run at a lower-than-60fps frame rate, even with the iPhone 5S.
Beautiful graphics, but they feel worse in motion
I’ll be putting together a full review of F1 Race Stars in the future, once I have some more time to spend with it. For now, racing game fans might as well give it a shot. Codemasters is a real company, and a free download is a free download…
The first available controller becomes the first discontinued controller
The MOGA Ace Power MFi controller appears to have been removed from sale. Apple has removed its listing from the Apple Store and removed the controller from store shelves, and stocks are limited (and often discounted) at Best Buy. While still available on Amazon from third party sellers, ship time has slipped to 3-4 weeks. Moga offers the controller for sale on their website, though the ‘Buy Now’ link on the controllerâs homepage is broken, and there have been reports of errors with actually purchasing the controller.
The Ace Power was first made available in mid November of last year, becoming the first MFi controller sold, and beating Logitechâs offering by about a month. While the Ace Power had build quality and price issues, it is still the only form-fitting iPhone controller with an Extended analog layout.
Invisible MOGA
The Ace Power controller isnât the only thing thatâs hard to find; MOGA themselves have maintained almost complete silence over the past several months.
After a flurry of activity through early March of this year, MOGAâs Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube channels have been largely abandoned. That is with the exception of one Facebook post on April 16th apologizing for their lack of response to customer support emails – implying that in addition to public silence, MOGA has been ignoring private support requests.
This near complete silence is echoed at MOGAâs parent company Power-A, whose Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube accounts have reflected an identical lack of activity, and whose blog is offline.
Whatâs more, Craig Erickson, Director of Hardware Engineering and Systems Integration and lead designer of the Moga Ace Power and Moga Rebel controllers, appears to no longer be working at MOGA parent company Bensussen Deutsch & Associates as of March 2014, according to his Linkedin page.
Itâs unfortunate. Apple pulling their controller from sale, MOGA completely abandoning their social media channels, promised press release dates being missed without comment, a lead designer departing⦠None of this bodes well for MOGA. Weâve requested comment, and will update this post if we hear anything new.
Aliens VS Predator Evolution, the first game ever released with any form of MFi controller support, has just been updated for improved (and fixed) controller support.
When AVP was initially released in September of 2013, itâs release notes included the first known reference of controller support in an iOS game, signaling the first sign of Appleâs acceptance of MFi support in uploaded binaries. This was the first public mention of controller support for iOS since it was initially announced at that yearâs WWDC, and a welcome sign that the MFi controller program was still in progress.
Within a few months of AVPâs launch, the first controllers would hit the shelves. Ironically, AVP itself – the game that signified Appleâs continued support of official controllers – would feature incomplete and broken controller support. As such, it is particularly nice to see this update hit.
A good game ruined by freemium gets a second chance
Good news for iOS racing game fans: arcade racer Table Top Racing will be getting a new âgamer editionâ version to remove all of the ads, grinding, and freemium currencies.
From developer Playrise Digital:
âWeâve received an overwhelming amount of feedback from TTR fans worldwide and weâre pleased to be able to deliver on their top two requests, No Adverts! No Grind!â said Nick Burcombe, CEO Playrise Digital. âTable Top Racing: Gamer Edition features no advertising at all and the price of the Premium Cars, Upgrades, Paint Jobs and Weapon Wheels have all been halved! Just pure unadulterated fun for a one off price. Weâve left the option for In-App purchases in, but they are completely optional for those that want to cheat their way to victory or to support future developmentâ.
Iâve been hesitant to recommend Table Top Racing because of all of the freemium nonsense. The Gamer Edition, scheduled to go on sale later this year, will hopefully solve that problem.
Gamers looking to get a feel for Table Top Racing should still download the standard edition for free. Just keep in mind, now would be a really bad time to purchase anything in it.
Classic platforming in an unapologetically monochrome world
2-Bit Cowboy enters an age in which mobile devices are capable of incredible feats of graphical prowess. An age in which the iPhones we carry in our pockets rival the best computers from a decade ago. And, equally importantly, an age in which the difficulty of modern games has been reduced to the point where even the most casual of gamers can beat the latest AAA blockbuster without breaking a sweat.
2-Bit Cowboy doesnât care about any of this. 2-Bit Cowboy is a classical platformer of a bygone era. 2-Bit Cowboy will kill you for a mistimed jump. 2-Bit Cowboy will punish you with a hail of bullets for failing to approach an enemy at the right angle. And, oh yes, 2-Bit Cowboy is completely monochrome, with graphics assembled entirely from green-tinted shades of black, white, and gray.
And for anyone with a soft spot in their heart for what platforming games used to be, 2-Bit Cowboy is exactly what the doctor ordered. It is a chance to travel back in time to be a cowboy with a gun in the Wild West, and to be a kid with a Game Boy in the 1990s.
The 2-Bit Cowboy stands proud
2-Bit Cowboy is refreshingly straightforward in its presentation. Your town has been overrun with a gang of criminals. You play a cowboy (or cowgirl) attempting to rid the town of these gang members and return the things theyâve stolen. After this story is presented via a short cutscene, itâs on to the game.
Gameplay itself has a great feel to it. While reminiscent of classic action-platformers from the Game Boy era, 2-Bit Cowboy doesnât specifically copy any of them, instead featuring its own mix of jumping and gunplay. Perhaps most interestingly, 2-Bit Cowboy features a wall slide mechanic. Pressing and holding against a wall allows you to slowly grind down the side of it, with the ability to jump or shoot in the opposite direction at any time. Itâs a welcome addition to the genre, and one I canât recall seeing in any actual platforming games from the era. Itâs not all platforming, however; 2-Bit Cowboy focuses just as much on gunplay.
Destroy the crates and avoid traps
While this game can be played as a straight platformer, rushing through each level and dodging enemies on your way to the finish line, that doesnât really provide the best experience. Each level in 2-Bit Cowboy contains an assortment of side quests: kill 5 bandits, collect 50 coins, rescue 7 sheep, and so on. While these quests are straightforward in design, they often require extremely precise shooting from precarious positions to succeed, as well as exploring additional side paths. Finishing every level with every objective complete, and unlocking the associated Game Center achievements, is exactly the challenge fans of retro platformers will love.
All of this would feel tiring in poorly designed levels, but thatâs not something to worry about here: the levels in 2-Bit Cowboy are clever, spacious, and challenging, with alternate routes and secret paths. Some areas are only reachable through riding on horseback, cow-back, or on top of a mine cart (an almost obligatory vehicle for platformers of the era).
Outgun your enemies, or youâll need a doctor
Graphics are tricky to get right in a game like this. Too retro, and a lot of modern niceties are sacrificed. Not retro enough, and the intended atmosphere is lost. Iâm happy to say that 2-Bit Cowboy absolutely nails this balance.
2-Bit Cowboy completely evokes the feeling of the GameBoy-era platformer without entirely limiting itself to its shortcomings. To be clear, this game would not be possible on a true 8-Bit system. Multi-layered parallax background, variable pixel size, massive smooth-scrolling levels – these things were simply not possible in the games 2-Bit Cowboy recollects. And none of that matters, because the FEELING of those games is completely preserved here. The graphics here are reminiscent of the classic platformers of old in all the best ways, and updated in ways that feel completely natural.
Slide down the wall while shooting the bottles
Unfortunately, the sound design doesnât quite match the perfection of the visuals. The actual sound effects themselves arenât bad; the music is the biggest issue here. The entire soundtrack consists of one short western theme song, looping continuously. And aesthetically, the soundtrack feels too rich for the visuals. It feels more like something youâd hear from the DS than from the Game Boy.
All available MFi controllers are supported in-game. I was one of the beta testers for controller support, and it has come a long way since the first beta. Controller support still isnât perfect, however. Very occasionally, the d-pad will stop responding in mid-air. You can fix this by quickly releasing the d-pad, then pressing it again. Additionally, shooting your gun can occasionally feel âstickyâ. The game delays your shots, and this delay feels awkward when firing rapidly with a controller – sometimes a second bullet will automatically fire a few milliseconds after youâve released the shoot button, and sometimes it wonât fire until you press again. Luckily, these issues occur rarely, and should by no means be considered deal-breakers. Furthermore, these issues never occur with the touch controls, which are excellent.
Customize your cowboy or cowgirl with money earned from missions
At the end of the day, 2-Bit Cowboy manages to shine as a love letter to the classic action-platforming games of the past. That would fine enough on it’s own. But beyond being a simple nostalgia trip, 2-Bit Cowboy succeeds as a solid, fun, challenging action-platforming game in itâs own right – even if youâve never seen a Game Boy.
And if you do have a soft spot in your heart for the classic Game Boy, give 2-Bit Cowboy an immediate download. It brings back memories of the best parts of the era. At the very least, give the free version a shot. And if you like it, grab the full one – it’s worth the small asking price.
Update:
A free, ad-supported version of 2-Bit Cowboy is now available, and the review has been modified to reflect that
The HD âreimaginingâ of the classic puzzle-platformer Prince of Persia 2 has been updated with further bug fixes.
Both Standard and Extended layout controllers are supported here, though movement is handled via the d-pad on all controllers; analog sticks are not supported.
This mobile remake of the classic game includes updated graphics and less frustrating gameplay, which should make it more accessible to new players. While many of the classic, challenging, memorable moments of the original are missing in this updated version, platforming game fans will still find something to enjoy in what’s here.
